New Horizon Academy Opens New Flagship School in Brooklyn Center

This summer marks a new era for New Horizon Academy in Brooklyn Center. The early childhood learning center has officially moved into a state-of-the-art flagship school, offering vastly expanded space and modern amenities for the city’s youngest learners.

Not long ago, the building at 7100 Brooklyn Boulevard was an empty shell of an old bank. Today, you won’t find bank tellers or financial offices inside. The building is now filled with books, toys and the promise of a brighter future.

“The team is so excited and super thankful and grateful to be able to have a building like this to be able to take care of their children in,” said Kami Thompson, district manager for New Horizon Academy. “There’s a lot of big emotions.”

The new site represents a massive upgrade from the center’s previous home. Since 1993, New Horizon Academy operated out of a significantly smaller space in a strip mall along Humboldt Avenue, which featured only five classrooms and a single playground.

“We have outgrown it,” Thompson explained. “We are ready to get into a bigger space and work on having a space that was more state-of-the-art and modern.”

The newly renovated flagship center allows them to accommodate up to 150 children, ranging from six weeks to five years old. 

The building features nine indoor classrooms, one outdoor classroom and three distinct playgrounds for different age groups.

There’s also the “Sensory Discovery Room” that’s designed to be a crucial tool for early childhood development.

“When children get emotionally dysregulated, a lot of times if they have a space like this, it’s calming for them,” Thompson said.

The new location of New Horizon Academy is at 7100 Brooklyn Boulevard in Brooklyn Center.

‘Finally Our Turn’

Longtime staff members can barely contain their joy about the move. For the teachers, the new environment signals a major, tangible investment in the community and the children they serve daily.

“I’m really speechless. I’m excited,” said Tracey Douthard, the director of New Horizon Academy in Brooklyn Center.

Emilia Smith, a teacher at New Horizon Academy, is eager to see the children’s reactions to their new surroundings.

“I think the kids are going to be excited for just having a new place to come, first of all, because they’ve been coming to that same building for so long,” Smith said. “It’s always the same. And when they see this, they’re gonna be like, ‘wow.'”

Smith added that the staff has watched the company grow elsewhere, making this local milestone even sweeter.

“We hear about all the others that are opening up, and we finally have our turn. So we are really excited.”

The Sensory Discovery Room at New Horizon Academy in Brooklyn Center is designed to be a calm space for children.

A Full-Circle Milestone

The opening holds deep historical significance for the provider. Company founder Sue Dunkley opened the very first New Horizon location in Brooklyn Center back in 1971. Today, the company operates more than 100 locations across multiple states.

“This city itself has a lot of meaning to our company as well as some of the foundational leaders,” Thompson noted.

By breathing new life into a former bank building, the company is banking on the idea that they will continue serving the families of Brooklyn Center for decades to come.

The children wrapped up their final day at the Humboldt Avenue space on July 24. New Horizon Academy will host a public open house at the new flagship location at 7100 Brooklyn Boulevard on Aug. 1.

Related: New Horizon Childcare Expands in Brooklyn Center

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